


Contract

by EarthGirl3015



Series: That Girl Is A Problem [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:09:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22146961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthGirl3015/pseuds/EarthGirl3015
Summary: "They don't grant visas to weapons of mass destruction."
Series: That Girl Is A Problem [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1594009
Kudos: 9





	Contract

**Author's Note:**

> Well, it's only been 2 years since I wrote 'Wanda'. But I am slow with a lot of things in my life. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

“It’s a good deal,” the Widow stated confidently, arms crossed and leaning against the glossy kitchen cabinet, as Wanda glanced down at the sheets of paper that had been waiting for her on the table, along with a plate of toast, eggs and bacon. She was currently finishing up the last bites, her mind still hazy with grief, so she was only skimming the writing. Random words caught her eye: ‘specialised’, ‘contained’, ‘rogue’ and ‘medical’. What she wanted more than anything else was to just go to bed and sleep for a thousand years, but she was no fairy tale princess and these people would not wait very long for their answer. Swallowing the last of her food, she pushed the plate aside and turned her attention to the paper.

**CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT**

**Subject:** WANDA MAXIMOFF

**Age:** 20

**D.O.B:** 09/08/1995

**Nationality:** SOKOVIAN

**Contract of Employment under Avengers Initiative:**

The Subject will accept the terms stated as follows:

  * The Subject will consent to working with the Government of the United States of America under the specialised task force known as the Avengers Initiative (hereafter AI).



  * The Subject will consent to live within the Avengers Complex (hereafter AC), provided by Stark Industries. 
    1. The Subject will obtain permission before leaving the grounds of the AC, by filling in Form B/4638-01. Upon returning, photographic identification will be required. If this is not correctly done, the Subject will be confined to the AC until further notice.
    2. The Subject will consent to stay only in the unrestricted areas of the AC.
    3. The Subject will behave within the guidelines specified by the owner of AC, i.e. Mr Anthony ‘Tony’ Howard Stark. 
      1. If the Subject has any dietary requirements, please inform Mr Stark upon arrival and a personal chef will be acquired so that all needs are met.
      2. If the Subject is a nudist/naturalist, please inform Mr Stark upon arrival and he will personally see that all needs are met.


  * If the Subject has any suggestions on how to improve the facilities in the AC, it has been requested that the Subject only inform Mr Stark of the ‘really fun ones’. Otherwise please fill in Stark Industries Form H/2956-78



  * The Subject’s use of their ‘powers’/‘abilities’ will: 
    1. Be contained to the AC for training purposes – no exceptions.
    2. Be contained to bases under the control of the Military of the United States of America for training or martial purposes – no exceptions.
    3. Not be used against the Government of the United States of America – excepted only when there are confirmed rogue elements that may cause harm to the safety and security of the United States of America.
    4. Not to be used against the Army, Navy or Air Force Divisions of the United States Armed Forces – excepted only when there are confirmed rogue elements that may cause harm to the safety and security of the United States of America.
    5. Not be used against the civilian populace of the United States of America – excepted only when there are confirmed rogue elements that may cause harm to the safety and security of the United States of America.



  * The Subject will submit to: 
    1. An annual medical test – full check-up.
    2. A quarterly medical test – partial check-up.
    3. A full DNA work-up.
    4. Blood analysis.
    5. Urine analysis.



_Please turn over to continue_

Wanda turned the page. The second page went on to outline her monetary options (paid almost entirely in full from Stark Industries, with a small bonus from the Government, apparently), the third page consisted mostly of her health insurance (great dental) but the fourth was what made her pause. She read it twice to make sure she understood. She looked up at the Widow, who was still watching her. It was unnerving, how her silent staring made every hair on Wanda’s neck rise. Nevertheless, she swallowed and asked,

“Am I reading this right? English is my second language, so I think I must have read this wrong. After everything I’ve just read through,” she pointed to the first page specifically, “I don’t get a visa?”

The Widow smirked down at her,

“Well, it took them five years to trust me with one, and that was when S.H.I.E.L.D. was around to pull some strings. Do you know how many people I had to kill in service to this country before they would let me have my own apartment?” She sardonically raised an eyebrow, her voice flat and humourless. A full body shudder went through Wanda’s body, and she decided that no, she really didn’t want to know.

A huff came from the seating area. Glancing over, Wanda saw Hawkeye, his hands occupied with a knife and a whetstone, rolling his eyes in the Widow’s direction.

“Oh yeah, that’ll calm her down, Tasha. Could you maybe try doing the consoling part first? You can get back around to terrifying her with a smile later, yeah? Think it would turn out better for everyone in the end.” The Widow’s eyes had stayed on Wanda, following her reaction, and while a small smile appeared on her face at Hawkeye’s words, her eyes softened,

“They won’t ask you to kill anyone. It’s just to ensure that you’re not considering jumping ship.” ‘again’ implied the look on the Widow’s face. Wanda grimaced, realising she didn’t have a leg to stand on. H.Y.D.R.A. to ULTRON to the Avengers, all within a few days. She could understand why these people doubted her loyalty. But still, it rankled.

“So what does all of this actually mean?” She flipped back to the fourth page and tried to read it again but the legal writing was as impenetrable as before.

“Depends,” Hawkeye got up and came over to lean on the table, throwing his shadow across the paper, “Is it the ‘we want you on board and we’ll give you all this stuff if you stay’ deal or is it the ‘we really don’t know how to deal with you, but we need you to not blow us off the map, so here’s what we can do’ deal?” Wanda stared at him incredulously, not sure whether to believe him or not.

“Little of option A, little of option B,” the Widow smirked as she sat down across from Wanda, “Like most of the deals the Government offers to people like us, really.”

“Who gets Option B?” Wanda couldn’t help but ask.

“In full? Thor.” Hawkeye stated, “And as far as I know, he’s the only one who ever has.”

“I came pretty close.” The Widow said, leaning back in her chair. Hawkeye scoffed,

“Well yeah, they’re not that stupid.”

“Not…the Big Guy?” She still wasn’t comfortable even mentioning Banner, even if he had just disappeared without a trace. The two heroes exchanged a quick glance.

“Banner was…is…complicated.” Hawkeye clearly didn’t want to elaborate, but Wanda couldn’t help but be curious.

“But, how…?”

“The Hulk was an Army experiment,” the Widow’s tone was harsh, almost bitter, “General Thaddeus Ross is of the opinion that the Hulk is military property, and with the Hulk comes Banner, so he is as well.” Her expression shifted to a cold, harsh smile, “Banner has his own opinion on that.”

Wanda considered this. On the one hand, no wonder Banner was so angry, being hunted for something he couldn’t even control all the time. But on the other, what kind of government turned on their own people like that, stripped them of their autonomy for something they couldn’t even control themselves. The thought made her head hurt. She looked back at the contract.

“Please explain this. And don’t lie to me.” A moment of silence as the Widow and Hawkeye exchanged another glance. The Widow leaned forward and took the contract.

“From what I can tell,” she opened it to the page in question and quickly skimmed it, “it essentially boils down to ‘if you become an Avenger and help us to protect the world, we won’t deport you’.”

“Ouch, that’s harsh.” Hawkeye moved around to read over the Widow’s shoulder, his face brushing her hair.

“Still better than my deal.” The Widow murmured, her eyes still scanning the document. One of Hawkeye’s hands came up to her shoulder and squeezed. The Widow put the paper down and looked Wanda in the eyes,

“It’s not pretty. It’s not nice and it’s not very fair. But the reality is that you have powers. Strong powers. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that, while you clearly know your way around them,” she brought a finger up to tap her forehead. Wanda winced at the implication, “You don’t have complete control over them. Even if you weren’t interested in becoming an Avenger, you’d still need to get them under control. Where could you practice with them that you wouldn’t eventually be found out? In what circumstances? Even half controlled, you’re still an asset. And out there,” she pointed out of the window, into the still sunny morning, “there are governments that won’t even give you a bucket to shit in, if they catch you, so long as they can use you. There are new threats every day, some we can’t even begin to anticipate until they’ve already happened, and I’m sure any number of them would be more than happy to find a use for you. And there’s always H.Y.D.R.A., of course.”

“I won’t go back to them!” Wanda snarled, standing so quickly her chair fell over backwards, her hands suddenly lighting up red at the thought. Hawkeye straightened immediately, falling into a defensive stance. Chagrined, Wanda took a breath and managed to will her anger and sudden fear down, her power calming and fading away as a sense of shame crept over her. She hadn’t meant to startle them. In fact, she hadn’t meant to call her power at all. With a grimace, she admitted to herself that the Widow’s words made a lot of sense.

The woman in question has been motionless through the entirety of Wanda’s outburst, although she seemed to take a breath as soon as the red vanished back to wherever it came from.

“I’m aware you don’t want that. But if you go out into the real world so soon after Sokovia, you can’t guarantee that they won’t find you. I’m aware that these rules look strict,” she pushed the paper back across the table, “but they really are for your benefit, I promise. And after a few years,” she relaxed in her chair again, waving her hand at herself for emphasis, “They’ll realise you’re indispensable, and the restrictions will ease up. During that time, you can train, you can get stronger, you can build on what you started in Sokovia. You could be one of us, for real this time.”

The idea shouldn’t really have had much appeal. Stark was here, the creepy robot was here, nobody spoke her language, nobody knew her. But Stark had helped, in the end. Everyone else had to deal with Vision too, it wasn’t like it only made her uncomfortable. And nobody knew her in Sokovia either. Not anymore. Pietro had been the last link and he…

The stabbing feeling of grief in her stomach felt all encompassing. She actually had to close her eyes to let it pass. She was alone now.

But she didn’t have to be.

They weren’t friends, not even Hawkeye; all he’d done was shout some sense into her. But they could be.

And where else did she have to go?

“Do you have a pen?”

The Widow smiled, genuinely, and reached into her pocket.

**Author's Note:**

> A bit boring I know, but I sincerely doubt that Wanda didn't have some kind of deal with the Government. They do obviously bring up something to that effect in Civil War (see Tony's quote that is the title of the fic), but since we never see it, I thought I'd make it official. Also, assuming this series goes where I want it to, this can provide tensions later on. I do actually have a plan :-P just need to write the damn thing.


End file.
